Severe Special Needs, M.Ed., C.A.E.S.

The Boston College Program in Severe and Multiple Disabilities prepares teachers to work with students who have moderate to severe intellectual disability, autism, and additional disabilities (such as visual impairment, deafness, cerebral palsy, and medical conditions). The program leads to eligibility for the Massachusetts teaching license in Severe Disabilities. Additional specializations in deafblindness or autism are available. No prior teaching license is required for admission. The Program of Study include two routes, one for those who already have a teaching license (in any area) and one for those who do not. The Severe and Multiple Disabilities Program is founded on close linkages between current research and best practices in teaching. Students may be enrolled on a full or part-time basis.

The program leads to eligibility for the Massachusetts teaching license in Severe Disabilities.

To teach content from the general curriculum as well as functional academics, skills of daily living, prevocational and vocational skills, play and social-emotional competencies to address the needs of the whole child

Keep meaningful data on student learning and behavior and to make data-based decisions

Create learning environments that promote engagement and learning

Promote the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice

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Financial Assistance

Education should level the playing field – we feel the same way about financial aid.

The Lynch School of Education provides more than $7.5 million in financial aid to students each year. As a result, the quality of BC’s instruction, the benefit of our alumni network, and the impact a BC degree will have on your employment options is both affordable and invaluable. Here’s why:

Curriculum varies based on licensure status. See program of study for specific requirements.

Course

Course Title

Credit

EDUC 6389

Assessment Low Incidence & Multiple Disabilities

This course addresses formal and informal assessment of students with intensive needs. Students will become familiar with assessments driven by both the developmental and functional paradigms. All assessment activities will be founded on the principle that appropriate assessment goes beyond the student to include consideration of the student's multiple contexts.

3

EDUC 6384

Teaching Strategies of Multiple Disabilities

This course is designed to assist the special educator in acquiring and developing both the background knowledge and practical skills involved in teaching individuals who have severe or multiple disabilities. The areas of systematic instruction, communication, gross motor, fine motor, community and school functioning, collaboration, functional and age-appropriate programming are emphasized. The role of the educator as developer of curriculum, instructor, and in the transdisciplinary team are included. The students should be prepared to participate in a one-day-per-week field placement.

3

EDUC 6686

Augment Communication of Persons with Disabilities

This course focuses upon the communication problems of persons who are developmentally disabled, physically challenged, hearing impaired, and deaf-blind. Students learn strategies for enhancing communication and learn how to develop and implement a variety of augmentative communication systems.

Application Form

Résumé

To be uploaded to your online Application Form

In addition to your academic history and relevant work experience, please include any licenses currently held, any social justice-related experience, any language skills other than English, and any research experience or publications.

Personal Statement

To be uploaded to your online Application Form.

In 1,000-1,500 words, describe your academic and professional goals, any experience relevant to this program, and your future plans, expectations, and aspirations.

Letters of Recommendation

Identification of recommenders/instructions to recommenders are outlined in the online Application Form

Two letters of recommendation from academic sources are required, but applicants with significant relevant professional experience may submit additional letters of reference from supervisors.

Transcripts

Official transcripts, bearing the official seal of the institution and the signature of the registrar or relevant administrator, are required for all post-secondary education. Undergraduate transcripts are required and graduate level transcripts are accepted, but not required. Official transcripts are only required after acceptance and that unofficial copies are acceptable to be uploaded in the application.

If you are using FedEx or UPS (as they do not ship to P.O. Boxes), please use this address:

Standardized Tests

An unofficial score report may be uploaded to your online Application Form; however, an official score report – sent directly from ETS – must also be submitted upon acceptance/matriculation.

This program requires all applicants to have taken the GRE in a maximum of 5 years prior to application being submitted, regardless of previous academic coursework, previous degrees/credentials earned, and/or professional experience. No exceptions will be made.

The MAT may also be substituted for the GRE.

For more information about the GRE exam, including test dates and testing sites, visit https://www.ets.org/gre.
Lynch School of Education GRE Code: 3218

Writing Sample

Not required.

International Students

An international applicant is defined as any person that requires a student visa in order to study in the United States. International applicants are eligible to apply to any graduate program in The Lynch School, provided they have successfully completed the equivalent of a United States bachelor degree and have the appropriate diplomas and/or satisfactory results on transcripts or leaving examinations from the country in which the degree was earned. International applicants must complete all program-specific application requirements as well as additional requirements outlined below.

Transcripts

Applicants that have completed a degree outside of the United States must have a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript(s) completed by an evaluation company approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Click HERE for a complete list of NACES-approved evaluators. Submission of falsified documents is grounds for denial of admission or dismissal from the University.

English Proficiency

All applicants whose primary language is not English (or for whom English is not one of their primary languages) are required to submit proof of satisfactory English proficiency. At this time, the only acceptable forms of proof for English proficiency are the TOEFL and IELTS exams (certificates of completion from English-language schools are not currently accepted). Below are the minimum scores required.

TOEFL iBT = 100 minimum

IELTS – 7.0 minimum

An official score report must be sent directly from Educational Testing Services (TOEFL). TOEFL School Code: 3240.

Exemptions

Applicants that meet either of the criteria below do not need to submit proof of English proficiency.

Applicants who completed an undergraduate OR graduate degree from a regionally-accredited institution within the United States

Applicants who completed an undergraduate OR graduate degree at an institution outside of the United States where the language of instruction was English

Conditional Acceptance

The Lynch School offers Conditional Acceptance to applicants that fulfill all academic requirements for admission to and are accepted to the program, but whose level of English proficiency does not meet the minimum requirements. In these cases, admitted students will be granted conditional admission, but will have to retake the TOEFL or IELTS exam and submit an official score report that shows the minimum score has been met no later than six weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the student’s program will begin. If a student with conditional admission does not submit a passing TOEFL or IELTS score within the allotted time frame, he/she will be granted a deferral to start in a future semester, no later than one year from the original start term. Due to this policy, we strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible in order to ensure that these conditions can be met.